Innocence
by Gean Amiraku
Summary: It doesn't look like an excuse for becoming a daeva, does it? You also don't need to find an excuse for being an elyos or asmodian.


Elysea, such a warm, sunny word, filled with birds' warbles and murmur of shallow rivers. We have a lot of fish, our harvest is rich. Aion gave to our part of Atreia enough lands for many folks to live. Not like in Asmodae, where there is no good soil at all. Their plowmen are true heroes unlike warriors… from the both sides. Well, I'm quite sure that with all the energy we've been using in battles we can build up a new Tower for Aion. Together we are able to kick away those balaurs from Atreia and knock our worlds into one.

The fact is that I live in this beautiful Elysea and it is not in my power to change this. When I was a child I was devoted to my games and fairy-tales my parents told me.

There were some asmodians in those tales. They were big like the biggest of kralls and they were fierce like the most fearsome wolves of Verteron. They had claws to slaughter and they had manes as all the beasts have.

When I was seven years old I hadn't seen a single asmodian. But I already hated them because I was afraid of them and it disturbed my dreams at nights a lot. My sisters laughed at me as they liked to scare me, and when they did so I hated asmodians much more.

Strange as it may seem, now I hate all the daevas, both elyos and asmodians, although I am one of them. I just do not know whom I am afraid of more.

It was a kind day for me, as usual. Being a small girl and never thinking about eternal wars in the Abyss. I went mushroom-picking in the outer wood that day. My hair of grassy colour was rather short and Mother loved to do small pigtails on my head. It looked quite funny I guess, ha-ha!

I was afraid of the woods: although mother sent me often to gather mushrooms or berries, she always asked not to go far away. She shouldn't, because I was scared of darkness hidden between the tree trunks, which branches were tightly bonded and it seemed to me a very gloomy forest. Albeit, it wasn't.

Suddenly a tall man went from behind one of the trees, holding his right arm. He stooped a little and stared at me, as if he wanted to say something, but had forgotten what exactly.

As I've already said, I'd never seen an asmodian before that day and I imagined them being beasts like kralls but much more scary and dangerous.

That man was not very different from me though I considered he wasn't a human: he had dark skin as I do, but of mazarine shade, not brown like mine. But his grey eyes were normal, they were like my father's – so severe and tender at the same time.

- Who are you? – I asked in a firm voice as I have some bravery when strange situations occur indeed. But the man kept silent and began to frown. Maybe he understood that his idea was more dangerous than his condition. But I didn't understand that he was injured as he hid that from me, and also I didn't recognize an asmodian in him. – I know, you are a forest fairy-man or a spirit, aren't?..

Only then after a pause he spoke. His voice was as dark as his skin, and his words sounded strange:

- Andth who're you? – He squatted gingerly in front of me and blinked. – D'you knaw who I'm?

- So I'm right! – I laughed. – You're a spirit of the forest! Or else…

I looked at his claws.

- You might be a skin-changer, a wolf. Then I will run away as fast as I can. Father said you'll never go beyond the river, and we are close to it. So, are you a wolf? – I prepared to run and wasn't afraid: he was at a distance – 30 feet or so – and he didn't dare to come closer.

- Nau, Nau! – He whispered in a soft voice and tried to smile. – D'not worry. I'm naut a wolf-i, but I'm naut a faerie. I'm a strangiar here. I'm from laends high and far.

- Well… - I believed him immediately. – Why are you here in my lands, strange-talker?

- I's attackid by ru-uthless beastes in the forest-i…

- Can they attack the village? – I interrupted him and began to fear that beasts.

- Nau! They're quite deadth at the momeunt. But I'm too-o tired to continuie my journey-i. Oh, little-i elyos. – He was thinking for a moment. With a great sigh and anguish in the voice he spoke again, slowly choosing his words. – I would ask you for help-i. For your little-i helping haend.

I didn't understand that day why it took him so much pain to ask me for that.

- That's all right, I'll show you the way to my village! – And I wanted to go, but he cried his "nau" again, may be too loudly and impatient.

- I'm too-o tired, sweet-i. I've already saidth. Coume closer-i, please.

I did as he asked. He hid the left hand in the cloak and began to fumble there, trying not to fall to the hip.

- Here-rr it is-z… - He murmured to himself and pulled out a beautiful ring. – Look. It'was madeth in your capital-i, in Sanctu-um. It costes a lot, I guess-i. You'll fetch some foodth to me… andth the best stuff-i for healing your alchemist has. Please. Your haends, little-i girl.

He put the ring in my hand. His skin, despite the colour, was very hot. That day I thought it was normal, but now I guess he had a severe fever.

- Please. – He repeated. – Do naut tell anyone andth… be quick-i.

- But… maybe I should fetch a priest himself? I know nothing about potions and…

- Nau, nau. – He sighed. – There's no need-i…

- …and I'm afraid of our alchemist. He's so huge and he will certainly ask me where I got…

- Then ask a shugo. He'll help you if you show-i-him thiz ring.

- But are you sure…

The shadow of wings covered us. I looked up and then again at the man. I wanted to say that a daeva came here and he will help him, daevas always help strangers and travelers! But the man turned pale and shuddered. He touched my shoulder, carefully took my hand and then shook his head. After that he pushed me away slightly but strictly and stood up guardedly.

- Here you are. – The daeva landed. – Wanted to deceive a small girl?

The man looked at the daeva sullenly and didn't say a word for a few seconds.

- I do it everyday. It's my hobby-i.

- Is not able to defend yourself, but still joking, eh? Girl, move away a little. He may hurt you.

- He won't! – I cried. – He's not an evil stranger, he's just a traveler!

- He claimed that he is a traveler? – The daeva raised eyebrows and chortled. – So where did the poor traveler come from?

- You, daevas, always help people. Help him! – I demanded trying to imitate mother's voice.

- Certainly, I will help you to defeat this asmodian scum. – He grinned.

I looked at the man behind me. Maybe he was afraid, but his eyes were clear. He couldn't stand firmly, but he reached his sword on the belt and got prepared to draw it and fight.

As he stood, I noticed the mane and his eyes began to glow red slightly.

- What's up, you've lost you shield, asmodian? – The daeva drew a two-handed sword, thrust it in the ground and leaned on the hilt. – Are you joking again or did you seriously intend to fight?

- Naut here-r, please. – Asmodian looked at me hard, as if he wanted to scare me. I stood between the two men and the only thing I thought at the moment was how to return the ring politely. I couldn't believe that the nice creature that gave it to me was an asmodian. Thought I believed my eyes and daeva's words, and considered him a good asmodian.

- Not here? What do you mean by that? No. Let the girl see how beasts like you die!

- No, no, daeva! He's not bad and do not want to die and to kill!

- Do naut make a show-i of it then! – Shouted the asmodian in a very rude voice.

Daeva sneered and snickered.

- Don't he want to kill? It is his greatest desire, I guess. He does want to kill me; he does want to kill you. Maybe he wants to eat also. Do you, asmodian? Or to drink? I ate a chicken with mushrooms for breakfast and drank such good vine, hmm…

- Thai Shedim, haelpene maui. – Crossly whispered the asmodian on his language. – Laetu thai dougganni-i-piugiuny s-s-uhten up!

- Let me teach you then again, who was that chicken. – The daeva heatedly glanced at him and quickly came closer, brusquely pushing me from his way.

Even though I didn't want to see that I stared. Even though I didn't want that to happen, I could do nothing. Could a seven year old fight against a daeva? No, of course. Could I just move and try to help? Just cry or may be try to stop the daeva? It would scarcely have a success, but at least I could... I did nothing. Maybe it's just too much to ask of a small girl like I was.

The asmodian raised his sword and lost it when the daeva hit it. The asmodian leaned against a tree and closed his eyes before his enemy slashed.

I screw up my eyes and when the daeva came closer they were already filled with tears. He didn't understand.

- He's dead, don't cry, sweet.

But I only began to blubber and weep as I understood that I'm afraid of daevas too and there is no safe place in Elysea for me.

- He is dead! Look… - he fetched his sword. – He doesn't object anymore. It is heavy, but if you are able to carry…

He gave the asmodian's sword to me. Strange, but I stopped crying immediately. The daeva told that if my family sells it we'll have a lot of money. I took the sword but I hid it before I got home and brought only few mushrooms in the basket. I took it again only when I became a daeva myself to wear it in the Sanctum, ha.

And, luckily, I've never seen that daeva again.

It occurred so that I hate both the alyos and asmodian's daevas. Changing the side is silly; we all are quite the same. That asmodian asked for my help and didn't think that he was always doing nothing but destroying my love, my Elysea. That elyos put to death his enemy in the face of a child, but he hadn't have a thought what it meant to me and how it changed my life.

I'm who I am and I am an elyos.

So, what's up, my sweeties?


End file.
